Happy holidays and cheer to all of our IHSI colleagues and staff! As we near the end of 2023, it is a time to reflect on the past year, as well as look forward to the year ahead.
One of IHSI’s main pillars of activity for campus is TRANSLATION of health ideas and innovations. This was represented recently by our proposal to the ARPA-H Precision Surgical Interventions program, “Margin Diagnostic (MarginDx): Intraoperative Label-Free Multi-Scale Multi-Modal Optical Surgical Imaging, Guidance, and Decision-Making Platform.” The project involved over 35 collaborators from Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Carle Health, two local start-up companies, NCSA, and a large group of UIUC faculty and researchers in optical imaging, AI, surgical robotics, human factors, and health economics, and showcased the collective multi-institutional strengths that will yield a commercially viable and ready solution to address a critical healthcare need.
ARPA-H’s commitment and significant investment in technological solutions to address critical healthcare challenges is evident already by the major projects they have funded across the country. Regardless of whether our proposal gets funded, the effort spawned new collaborations and highlighted the great things that can be accomplished with a dedicated team focused on a shared goal. We finished with a new-found sense of readiness to tackle other grand challenges, projects, and proposals, and a firm position for future opportunities with ARPA-H, NIH, and others. IHSI is ready to share expertise and experience with other teams interested in proposing and preparing abstracts and full proposals to ARPA-H, NIH, or other agencies.
In the midst of preparing our proposal we also hosted a Strategic Visioning Retreat for the Mayo Clinic & Illinois Alliance for Technology-based Healthcare. We welcomed many collaborative leaders and team members from Mayo Clinic who joined UIUC faculty, staff, and researchers to engage in presentations, discussions, and planning on how to continue to build on the momentum generated by our many collaborative projects and institutional alignment. Our partnerships with Mayo Clinic, Carle Health and other clinical partners, industry, and with local community members will allow us to wholistically and strategically align for greatest impact to improve the human condition – work that no one institution or unit can do alone.
I hope everyone enjoys their winter break, and that you find moments with family and friends that serve as a source for reflection, relaxation, and refreshment. May we all look forward to a happy and healthy new year.
Sincerely,
Stephen Boppart, M.D., Ph.D.
Interim Director, IHSI